There are numerous ways I think our election and government system should be reformed, but here are a few ways off the cuff:

1. I think we should have entrenched in the constitution a set date for general elections, and do away with this voodoo politics that exists in the Bahamas where a PM can call an election whenever he wants. If we put a PM in office, he should not be able to decide for us when we get to evaluate him. Let the date be set, and every party knows how much time they have to do thus-and-so and have a fair approach to election preparation.

2. "Gerrymandering" should be made illegal.

There are numerous ways I think our election and government system should be reformed, but here are a few ways off the cuff:
1. I think we should have entrenched in the constitution a set date for general elections, and do away with this voodoo politics that exists in the Bahamas where a PM can call an election whenever he wants. If we put a PM in office, he should not be able to decide for us when we get to evaluate him. Let the date be set, and every party knows how much time they have to do thus-and-so and have a fair approach to election preparation.
2. "Gerrymandering" should be made illegal.


Good points and a fair suggestion.

On a side note, I know this may sound political but just take it for what it is and don't read too much into it. I thought that what The FNM was able to accomplish prior to the 1997 elections was perhaps the most effective example of Gerrymandering in history. The FNM with less than 55% of the votes were able to acquire 75% and eventually 80% of the seats in Parliament. I do think though that this may have contributed to the landslide victory by The PLP in 2002.

There are numerous ways I think our election and government system should be reformed, but here are a few ways off the cuff:
1. I think we should have entrenched in the constitution a set date for general elections, and do away with this voodoo politics that exists in the Bahamas where a PM can call an election whenever he wants. If we put a PM in office, he should not be able to decide for us when we get to evaluate him. Let the date be set, and every party knows how much time they have to do thus-and-so and have a fair approach to election preparation.
2. "Gerrymandering" should be made illegal.

laughing...
you think we does use voodoo in our politics...

pehaps we more Haitian than we think?

Good points and a fair suggestion.
On a side note, I know this may sound political but just take it for what it is and don't read too much into it. I thought that what The FNM was able to accomplish prior to the 1997 elections was perhaps the most effective example of Gerrymandering in history. The FNM with less than 55% of the votes were able to acquire 75% and eventually 80% of the seats in Parliament. I do think though that this may have contributed to the landslide victory by The PLP in 2002.

lol..interesting. This point also reminds me though of what Ingraham said before the 1992 elections when discussing the PLP changing the boundary lines...he said "you can change the lines, but you cant change their minds."

Essentially meaning that no matter where the boundary lines fall..people will vote how they are going to vote.

Recall the boundary changes in 1992,and the PLP still lost. This is kinda a twist as well to the side note you raised.

It is too hard to amend the constitution. We need a new one that can be amended with a suiable parlimentary majoity with appropriate waiting periods, etc. This going to the people thing carn work until the national average becomes a "B", so on other words, never.Carn reform the civil service, carn get rid of lard arses, carn do nuttin'..Paul Adderly and co really gave it to us good.

We need selection reform first!

There are numerous ways I think our election and government system should be reformed, but here are a few ways off the cuff:
1. I think we should have entrenched in the constitution a set date for general elections, and do away with this voodoo politics that exists in the Bahamas where a PM can call an election whenever he wants. If we put a PM in office, he should not be able to decide for us when we get to evaluate him. Let the date be set, and every party knows how much time they have to do thus-and-so and have a fair approach to election preparation.
2. "Gerrymandering" should be made illegal.

did you look into how political pundits try to explain away gerrymandering?
this is what should happen.

1. make it mandatory for potential MP's to live n their constituency...how can represent me when you do not reflect me?
2. we need to outright elect our PM by numbers, not this leader of the party ish.
3. all appointed Cabinet Ministers must go before a governing body to secure their nomination by a permanent secretary and other high govt officals to show their competence in their portfolio.
4.the constituencies are too small...bunch most of them up...and send one MP...it makes no sense to have a golden gates and carmicheal...village associations with a alderman would be a better route...say a fox hill council or yamacraw council is better than a natinal govt MP who has a cabinet minister. no more than 20 MP's from Nassau and even that's too much.
5. campaign finance reform...how can a political party get away with having a drug dealer finance their election? we need accountability and transparency in this regard. set limits on the maximum amount one person can donate to a candidate...say $200.
6, outlaw any MP from being at the helm of govt corporations....look at BAIC and what Stubbs did! and now he want to be our MOFA...are these people serious?

It is too hard to amend the constitution. We need a new one that can be amended with a suiable parlimentary majoity with appropriate waiting periods, etc. This going to the people thing carn work until the national average becomes a "B", so on other words, never.Carn reform the civil service, carn get rid of lard arses, carn do nuttin'..Paul Adderly and co really gave it to us good.

Well you know the irony of the constitution? It is exactly that same, save minor differences, as the constitutions of our regional neighbours.

We are more like the rest of the region than we think, even though we like to see ourselves as being so much different and in many ways, advanced.

laughing...
you think we does use voodoo in our politics...
pehaps we more Haitian than we think?

speak for yourself...and voodoon origins are not in Haiti. they just took that ish to another level.

Well you know the irony of the constitution? It is exactly that same, save minor differences, as the constitutions of our regional neighbours.
We are more like the rest of the region than we think, even though we like to see ourselves as being so much different and in many ways, advanced.

well at one time or another most of our carribbean contemporaries were under british rule so I can understand why we reflect each other.

We need selection reform first!

what is that in layman's terms please?

Good points and a fair suggestion.
On a side note, I know this may sound political but just take it for what it is and don't read too much into it. I thought that what The FNM was able to accomplish prior to the 1997 elections was perhaps the most effective example of Gerrymandering in history. The FNM with less than 55% of the votes were able to acquire 75% and eventually 80% of the seats in Parliament. I do think though that this may have contributed to the landslide victory by The PLP in 2002.

I do think that the 2002 constituency was the most even balance in the history of the Bahamas. Most constitituency had on average the same amount. The people simply voted and goverments fell. Disclaimer: Dont read politics into this!

This going to the people thing carn work until the national average becomes a "B", so on other words, never.Carn reform the civil service, carn get rid of lard arses, carn do nuttin'..
Now dats a serious ting...atleast in general elections you only need put an X next to or on top of a symbol - no reading necessary. But to vote on changes to the constitution you have to be able to read and understand the proposed ammendment.

Figures as of Thursday, August 24, 2006.
Constituency # Voters (In Preparation
/ 2002) Precentage of Register in
Preparation vs 2002
Adelaide 2801 / 4216
66%
Bain & Grants Town 1725 / 4183
41%
Bamboo Town 2016 / 4128
49%
Blue Hills 2768 / 4450
62%
Carmichael 2160 / 4065
53%
Cat Island
Rum Cay & San Sal 814 / 1484
55%
Delaporte 2637 / 4191
63%
Eight Mile Rock 2340 / 4286
55%
Elizabeth 2293 / 4245
54%
Englerston 1795 / 4375
41%
Exuma 1138 / 2134
53%
Farm Road 1769 / 4184
42%
Fort Charlotte 1966 / 4125
48%
Fox Hill 2105 / 3870
54%
Garden Hills 2044 / 3782
54%
Golden Gates 2178 / 4148
53%
High Rock 2214 / 3886
57%
Holy Cross 2413 / 4037
60%
Kennedy 1799 / 4035
45%
Long Island & Ragged Is. 932 / 1944
48%
Lucaya 2063 / 3986
52%
Marathon 1930 / 3955
49%
Marco City 2267 / 4386
52%
MICAL 670 / 1299
52%
Montagu 2301 / 4129
56%
Mount Moriah 2187 / 4002
55%
North Abaco 1543 / 3332
46%
North Andros & Berry Island 1036 / 2363
44%
North Eleuthera 1433 / 3376
42%
Pineridge 2018 / 4128
49%
Pinewood 2111 / 4219
50%
South Abaco 1077 / 2577
42%
South Andros 1364 / 2392
57%
South Beach 2663 / 4141
64%
South Eleuthera 1232 / 2783
44%
St. Cecilia 1869 / 4291
44%
St. Margarets 1816 / 4076
45%
St. Thomas More 1703 / 4124
41%
West End & Bimini 1999 / 3900
51%
Yamacraw 2401 / 3922
61%
Total Family Island 11239 / 23684
47%
Total Grand Bahama 12901 / 24487
53%
Total New Providence 51450 / 98989
52%
Total Overall 75590 / 147160
51%

lol..interesting. This point also reminds me though of what Ingraham said before the 1992 elections when discussing the PLP changing the boundary lines...he said "you can change the lines, but you cant change their minds."
Essentially meaning that no matter where the boundary lines fall..people will vote how they are going to vote.
Recall the boundary changes in 1992,and the PLP still lost. This is kinda a twist as well to the side note you raised.


Gerrymandering can and has won elections but I have never seen a better example than the one I raised. I think that Sir Lynden once had the ability and grasp of the populace to make effective boundary changes but until 1987 it really wasn't needed and 1992 was a lost cause for The PLP. I think that what happened in 2002 was a result of the changes made in 1997 which placed large blocks of FNM voters in traditionally PLP constituencies and vice versa. In 1997 when the populace was enamoured with The FNM and still angry at The PLP this worked in The FNM's favour, by 2002 when the situation had reversed it worked in the favour of The PLP.

PS I was really impressed by what Hubert Ingraham and his team were able to accomplish in 1997. If only he would use his power for good. ;)